2 Samuel 11: David and Bathsheba

Outline

• Preparations for sin
• Anatomy of sin
• Multiplication of sin

Introduction

There are only a handful of very famous sins in the bible, the fall of Adam and Eve, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, and right up there is David and Bathsheba. I feel like I cannot emphasise the importance of this chapter. David is one of the great saints of the bible, the man who earned the accolade, ‘a man after God’s own heart.’ Of all the authors of the bible, it is David’s prayers and praise that are recorded more than any other for a model for God’s people. He is the benchmark king by which all other kings are judged, the best king Israel ever had, and a type for Christ. But for all of that he is a sinner like us. It is very important for us to see the great heroes of the bible as sinners. We can often hero worship and put ourselves under false impressions. But these men and women of the bible are recorded for our instruction. We should approach this chapter with a quiet humility as we observe that sin is able to take the very best of us.

As we observe this episode with David and Bathsheba we will want to make a study of sin. The text lays out the sin before us in three main parts. Firstly, there is the preamble and preparation that leads to sin; secondly, we note the nature of the sin itself, and then thirdly we see how sin is not content to stay small and quiet but it grows and multiplies.